The Girl Who Stayed Silent
by Some-of-us-live
Summary: There's a reason why Jack wanted revenge on Cutler Beckett.
1. A Pirate's Life For Me

_When theres quotation marks ("") around italics, it means they're signing instead of speaking (by they're I mean mostly Jacqueline and Jack)_

The girl panted, moaning as she was hit with pain, holding on to her husbands' shirt. He held a cool cloth to her head, and she leaned into him, nestling her head into his chest. There was something comforting about breathing in the scent of rye soap and rum, and as she was hit with another pain, she heard a cry and lifted her head back up to see the midwife holding a little girl, so small and pink, being wrapped in a white blanket and being handed to her.

"She's so small," Elizabeth breathed, holding the little girl close to her. Her husband leaned in beside her, looking down at his daughter.

"But so beautiful, like you."

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked, so tired, so weak.

"Of course, Bethie," he said, using his pet name for his wife. "What are we going to name her?"

She took a ragged breath, before answering, "Jacqueline Sparrow," before passing out.

"Beth?" Jack asked, shaking his wife's arm. "Bethie?...Elizabeth?"

The doctor walked in, then, having been fetched by the midwife earlier to examine the babys health, came in and checked Elizabeth's breathing.

Feeling her pulse.

The pulse that was not there.

Why was it not there?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sparrow. She must've died from the strain."

His wife, dead.

His beautiful, loving wife.

Why had she gone?

"Mr. Sparrow? I need to make sure your daughter is healthy, also."

"Yes, of course," he answered, handing him the only thing that kept him from dying right there, the only sliver of hope.

God, he hoped she looked like Elizabeth.

He tuned out the doctor, until he heard the words that made his heart shatter even more beyond repair.

"Mr. Sparrow? We believe your daughter is deaf, but otherwise, healthy. I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Sparrow."

His world was shattered.

He lost his wife.

Jacqueline was his only living family left, he was hers. She was his beautiful, small, wonderful, silent child.

They were both alone now.

Jack Sparrow stood on the mast of his...dinghy? He got weird looks as he sailed by, as would anyone pretending to be standing on the mast of a gigantic vessel, not a lifeboat-with-a-mast. No one really noticed the girl who sat at the bottom of the boat, looking at the land looming closer and closer.

"_Jackie!"_ he signed. She didn't even acknowledge him. Sighing, he waved his arms, trying to get his daughter's attention: _"Jacqueline Camilla Elizabeth Sparrow! Start bailing the boat!" _Jack signed, finally pulling his daughter out of her daydream and back into the real world

Upon seeing her full name, she turned around and stared at her father before starting to bail with the bucket.

After a few minutes, she turned, got his attention and signed, _"Why is my name so long?"_

"_Because, Jackie," _Sparrow huffed, _"A Sparrow needs a long name. And, besides, your mother named you Jacqueline, after me. Also, Camilla means free-born."_

"_Why Elizabeth? We're not particularly religious."_

"_Because I liked it. Stop asking questions! We have a ship to commandeer!"_ he yelled excitedly, jumping down and grabbing the bucket. Jack suddenly felt the ship jolt and noticed that Jacqueline had fallen in!

"Jackie!" he exclaimed, leaning over the side. She surfaced and smiled at him, holding up his small cloth bag filled with money.

"_Jackie, come back now!"_

"_Why?_"

"_Because I said so!" _Jack signed furiously, wishing his daughter would obey him, just for once.

"_I'll be fine," _she signed, rolling her eyes._ "I will meet you on the beach beneath the dock tonight!" _

Swimming away, Jack signed and continued trying to bail out the boat. _Scoop, dump. Scoop, dump. Scoop, dump._ Resting for a moment, Jack sat down and tryed to keep from crying at the memory.

_Jack exited the house, holding his daughter in his arms. Master Gibbs stood outside, a bottle of rum in his hand and the other running his hands through his hair, looking just as agitated as Jack probably would've felt if Elizabeth was still alive. At the sight of Jack, Gibbs stood, smiling, before noticing the distraught look on his face, clutching his daughter to his chest._

"_Jack?"_

"_She's gone," Jack said, not looking at Gibbs._

"_Gone?" Gibbs asked, cocking his head to the side._

"_Elizabeth died," Sparrow stated bluntly, looking down at his daughter._

"_What about...?" Gibbs trailed off, not knowing his daughter's name yet._

"_Jacqueline. Jacqueline Sparrow."_

"_Does she have a middle name, Cap'n?"_

"_No. I don't know. Hold her, will you, Gibbs?"_

"_Aye, sir, but may I ask why?"_

"_Why your holding her or why she doesn't have a middle name yet?"_

"_Uh, both, Cap'n," Gibbs said, looking more than a little confused._

"_She doesn't have a middle name yet because I haven't thought of one yet, you scaborous dog! And anyway, I want you to hold Jackie here while I go say goodbye to my __**wife**__," Jack ranted, throwing his hands up in the air and going back into the house, mumbling, "Bethie...my sweet Bethie..." before he turned around and said, "Name her what you want. Just make sure her third name is Elizabeth."_

"_Third name, Cap'n?"_

"_Yes, Gibbs! Her third name! Because every Sparrow has a third name!" he bellowed before disappearing back into his house, slamming the door and saying goodbye to his wife._

_Gibbs looked down at the small child and started, "Alright, young babe, what to name you..." before taking another sip of rum._

_Jack Sparrow was twenty-one years old._

Jacqueline raced through town, tucking her long, black hair into her tricorn hat that so closely resembled her fathers. Finding a friendly-looking shop, Jacqueline stepped inside, grabbing the first few dresses she saw and went to the mirror, trying to judge what would look best on her. Finding the dress she liked the most, she paid for it and walked away with a confident smirk on her face, ready for yet another one of her father's schemes.

Jack stepped off the boat, looking around while walking down the dock.

He had _just_ gotten past the Harbourmaster when he heard, "What? Hey! Hold up there, you!"

Silently cursing himself, Jack turned and walked back to the Harbourmaster and his apprentice.

"It's a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock!" the harbourmaster exclaimed, he and Jack both giving his dingy a look that suggested it didn't need to be tied up. "And I shall need to know your name."

"What do you say to three shillings," Jack suggested, digging in his pocket and placing the money on the logbook. "And we forget the name?"

From the look on the harbourmaster's face, Jack knew he was considering the offer. _Bloody old pig, lettin' someone in for just a couple shillings, _he thought. His apprentice raised his eyebrows, suspicious of his bosses behavior.

After another moment, he said, "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith," before letting Jack leave. Picking up the money pouch, Jack reminded himself to pick something nice up for Jacqueline's birthday.

Jacqueline stood in the crowd of women at the fort, having stood very close to the Governer and his entourage, sneaking into the sea-side fort. When she saw the soldiers marching to a mid-tempo, though, she realized that she probably shouldnt've snuck inside the highly guarded walls.

"_Excuse me, Miss Swann, do forgive me, my mind is in a flutter, I think from the humidity here, I'm not quite used to it. anyway, do tell me, for whom is this ceremony for?" _ Jacqueline wrote on a slip of paper and passed it to the woman beside her, Elizabeth Swann, the Governer's daughter, as Jackie had heard earlier that day.

"_Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. What is your name?" _ Elizabeth wrote on the paper in an elegant script that was very rehearsed in calligraphy, much like Jackie's own.

"_Camilla du Bois,"_ Jacqueline answered, using the identity her father'd given her in case she was in situations like this.

"_Miss du Bois, Captain Norrington is being promoted to Commodore," _Elizabeth wrote, when she stopped for a moment, before adding, _"May I ask why you don't speak?"_

Jacqueline reached for the paper just as Elizabeth shook her head, indicating that Jacqueline shouldn't answer, just as Norrington walked through the row of soldiers. Jacqueline tapped her ears and shook her head, telling the fellow girl that she was deaf. Elizabeth and Jacqueline both fanned themselves, both stressing in corsets under the noonday sun.

Jack stood on a bridge and looked aorund, hearing the music coming from the fort high up on the hill, his eyes set on a ship. Walking down the dock, he was stopped by two very comical-looking men dressed in Royal Navy uniforms.

"This dock is off limits to civilian," said the smaller one, having to raise his head a bit to look Jack in the eye.

Thinking of a quick response, Jack waved his arms a bit and said, "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately," before trying to get by. When the soldiers, again, blocked his way, he decided to change the subject.

"Apparently, there's some high-toned fancy to-do up at the fort there, eh? How is it that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" Jack asked, hiding a thinly-veiled insult in the question.

Again, the small one answered. "Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians."

"It's a fine goal, to be sure, but it seems to me that a..." Jack continued, trying to move past, but continually getting blocked by the two guards, "A ship like that, makes this one here a bit superfluous, really," he said, gesturing to the gigantic ship in the bay and the some-what smaller one in front of him.

"The _Dauntless_ is the power in these waters, true enough. But there's no ship as can match the _Intercepter_ for speed," the small guard boasted, the bigger one having yet to say anything.

Thinking for a moment, Jack then answered "I've 'eard of one. It's supposed to be very fast. Nigh, uncatchable."

Pausing for a moment of suspense, Jack then named his ship, the one he'd lost. "The _Black Pearl_."

Finally, the bigger guard said something, though, of course, it was a laugh. Then, he stated, "Well, there's no _REAL_ ship, as can match the _Intercepter_."

His partner turned to him and said, "_Black Pearl_ is a real ship."

"No. No it's not."

"Yes it is. I've seen it." The small one argued.

"You've _seen_ it?" the large one asked, unbelieving of his friends' claims.

"Yes."

"You haven't seen it!"

"Yes, I have!" The small one argued. Neither of them noticed Jack over there, getting very bored at listening to the two morons assigned to "keeping the dock off limits to civilians."

"You've seen a ship with black sails that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man SO EVIL that Hell itself spat him back out?"

Taken aback, the small one answered "No."

Proven right, the big one echoed, "No."

"But I have seen a ship with black sails," the small one persisted.

"Oh," the big one said sarcastically. "No ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails, therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship than the _Black Pearl_, is that what you're saying?" he ranted, not realized that Jack had already snuck off.

"No," the small one sputtered as Jack stood at the helm of the _Intercepter, _daydreaming about sailing on the open ocean with it.

"Like I said, there's no _REAL_ ship, as can match the _Intercep..._" he said, but stopped halfway when he saw Jack on the ship.

"Hey! You!" He exclaimed, running after Jack. "Get away from there!"

"You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate!"

"I'm sorry," Jack flustered. "It's just...It's such a pretty boat. Ship!" Jack immediately corrected.

"What's your name?"

"Smith. Or, Smithy, if you like."

"What's your purpose here in Port Royal, Mr. Smith?"

"Yeah, and no lies!" the small one added.

"Well, then. I confess. It is my intention to comandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder, and otherwise pilfer my daugher and I's weasly black guts out."

"I said no lies!" the small one exclaimed, clearly stupider than he looked.

"I think he's telling the truth," the big one said slowly.

"If he was tellin' the truth, he wouldn've told us."

"Unless he knew you wouldn't believe the truth, even if he told it to you," Jack said, confusing the men even more.

Jacqueline stood at the fort, sipping tea with the Swanns and listening to fine music as Captain-now-Commodore Norrington walked up.

"Commodore Norrington! This Camilla du Bois, she's from Marseille, she's here on business!" Elizabeth introduced Jacqueline, who looked very nervous.

"James Norrington," Norrington said, bowing as he kissed her hand. "Enchanté, mademoiselle. What kind of business are you here on?"

"Her father is very ill, Commodore, and her mother just passed away, so she's here in Port Royal, attending to her mother's estate," Elizabeth said for her, and Jacqueline sent her a look of gratitute.

"Well, my condolences, Miss du Bois. Do forgive me for leaving, but may Elizabeth and I have a moment?"

Jacqueline nodded her head and decided to leave, wanting to go find her father.

Jack was telling stories to the guards, who he learned were named Murtogg and Mullroy, and had just finished a story with "And then they made me their chief," when he heard a splash near the cliff.

_Oh, god. That's not Jackie, is it?_ Jack thought before asking, "Will you be saving her, then?"

"I can't swim!" Mullroy said, and Murtogg shrugged.

"Pride of the King's Navy, you are. Do NOT lose these!" Jack said, stripping of his effects. Jack then dived into the water, praying to any God at all the it wasn't Jackie. Swimming toward the woman, though, he was relieved to see someone, anyone, who wasn't his daughter.

Jackie stood near the dock as she saw her dad climb out of the water, Elizabeth on his shoulder.

Setting her on the dock, Mullroy exclaimed, "She's not breathing!"

"Move!" Jack exclaimed, cutting her corset open. Elizabeth coughed, getting all of the water out of her lungs.

"I never would've thought of that."

"Clearly, you've never been to Singapore." Seeing the medallion around her neck, two questions came to mind. Out of both of them, though, he decided to ask the easier of the two, "Where did you get that?"

Before she could answer, Commodore Norrington held a sword to his neck. "On your feet."

"Elizabeth!" the Governer exclaimed, helping her up and wrapping a coat around her. At seeing the mangled corset, he ordered, "Shoot him!"

"Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"

Sheathing his sword, Norrington held out his hand and said, "I believe thanks are in order."

Jack hesitated before (stupidly) taking his hand. Norrington pulled him forward and shoved his sleeve up, revealing the letter 'P' branded into his arm.

"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, Pirate?"

Governer Swanns voice, getting an octave higher with nervousness, said, "Hang him."

"Keep your guns on him, men. Gilette, fetch some irons." Pushing his sleeve higher, Norrington continued, "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, is it?"

"Captain, Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir."

"Well, I don't see your ship, Captain."

"I'm in the market, as it were."

"He said he'd come to commandeer one," Murtogg cut in. Mullroy then joined in with "These are his, sir!" and handed over Jack's effects.

Jack watched as they went through his effects, making fun of his compass and gun, before stating, "You are the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me," Jack answered. Jacqueline, standing feet away, put her head in her hand at her father's antics. Realizing that standing around wouldn't help him, she ran off to find someone she could trust.

Jacqueline walked into Brown's, who she had learned from the townspeople that Mr. Brown had hired Will Turner a couple years before to help him in his sword-making business.

Walking inside and taking a quick survery, she realized that only Mr. Brown was present, and he was currently unconscious from the large bottle of Brandy in his hand.

She want through the shop, picking up swords and seeing if she liked one for herself, petting the donkey. Finding a sword she liked, she had just placed it in her sheath when she heard the door open. She kept moving around, knowing that she could fake being deaf if it was anyone except her father. Or Master Gibbs, he knew that she could understand him. But last Jackqueline had heard, he was in Tortuga, happily drinking Rum and gambling away his money.

Seeing Jackie, he left her to herself as she messed with swords while he went to get his shackles off. At one point, she watched, silently laughing, as her father tried to whack the irons off himself with a pickaxe and an anvil.

Finally she got his attention and pointed to the cogs near the cieling that rotated as swords were made. Poking the donkey with a sword that had been left in the fireplace, the donkey started moving, and the cogs started spinning.

Jumping up, he hooked the chains onto the cogs and they broke, just as Will Turner was coming back.

Jack hid as Jackie turned away from the swords, facing Will.

He first rushed to the donkey, stopping her endless turning in circles before focusing his attention on Jacqueline.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Who are you?"

Jacqueline just shrugged and tapped her ears while shaking her head.

Will sighed and went through the shop, looking for paper, before noticing that the pickaxe was out of place.

"Not where I left you..."


	2. A Trying Day

"_Not where I left you..."_

William Turner turned around, spotting a tricorn hat laid on his anvil, and, like all curious people do, reached out towards it. Before he could touch, it, though, a sword slapped his hand, and William turned to see a man, broken shackles hanging from his wrists, mouth twisted in a sadistic smile, the beads in his hair softly clicking against each other.

"You're the one their hunting," Will started. "The pirate."

"You seem somewhat familiar, have I threatened you before?" Jack asked, staring at Will. Jacqueline rolled her eyes, waving her hand to get her fathers' attention.

"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates," William answered, before adding, "Who is she?"

He turned slightly to keep an eye on the girl along with the mysterious pirate. "One of your _recruits_?" Will asked, sneering at the word 'recruit.' The man stayed silent, as Will noticed the girl moving her hands, _signing,_ rather, at the pirate in front of him. Helping him escape. She was a pirate, too. It was quite a shame, too, the girl was quite beautiful and seemed rather smart.

"It sickens me, seeing a beautiful girl, probably of good blood too, wasn't she, being kidnapped into a life of piracy. I'm assuming it was kidnapped, someone who seems as smart as her certainly wouldn't _choose_ to live a life of piracy, unless she's got some sort of mental problem, I mean, she's already deaf, she's probably got some other handicaps, too..." William started, getting this guy right where he _knew_ it hurt. From the black locks, the brown eyes, and the tanned skin, Will knew they were related. William _knew_ that insulting this guy's family, his flesh and blood, would make him angry, make him want to take a stab at William.

Ignoring William's rant about his daugher, Jack kept his sword on William as he said, "Ah. Well, it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record." Turning to leave, he continued, "So if you'll excuse me..."

Before the Sparrows could even try to leave, Will turned around, grabbing the nearest sword, and pointing it right at Jack.

"Do you think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a _pirate_?" Sparrow asked, advancing on the young man, who kept his blade high, pointed right at Jack's neck.

"You threatened Miss Swann," he answered quietly.

Running his own blade down Will's, Jack teased him. "Only a little."

Thus, the two men started fighting, quickly losing Jacqueline's interest. The men both used dangerous tricks that only skilled sword fighters used, but it was really all a show.

Taking a break, Jack lowered his weapon, testing the boy. "You know what you're doing, I'll give you that. Excellent form. But how's your footwork?"

Jacqueline recognized this move as what he did to her when he taught her how to sword fight, not too many years before. Compliment them, but said compliment makes you doubt yourself. It was an excellent move, really, one that not too many people knew about, let alone used.

Never before has someone said that Captain Jack Sparrow fights fair.

"If I step here..."

_Tap, cling, clang._

"Very good. And now I step again."

_Clang, cling, tap, woosh, clang!_

"Ta," her father said, sheathing his sword and turning to leave, beckoning Jacqueline to come with him, but Jackie knew better. Jacqueline knew what this boy was about to do. Before Jack could open the door to leave, a _wooshing_ followed by a _thump_ right beside his head let Jack know that the door would now not open without forcefully removing said sword. Jack himself tried to remove it, even resorting to jumping up and down, but the sword would not budge.

"That is a _wonderful_ trick! Except once again, you are between me and our way out. And now you have no weapon!"

Will turned and saw a sword in the fire, and, grabbing it, turned around back to Jack, red-hot tip glowing with heat. The donkey saw the burning metal and started walking around it's continuous circle, not wanting to be branded for the second time in one day. Jacqueline tip-toed toward a corner, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, nor getting run over by a donkey.

The men continued their fight, Jackie getting less and less interested, even when they carried it into the rafters. It was only when Jack sprayed orange powder all over William, kicking his sword out of his hand, did Jacqueline realize that she should be ready to jump in and help her father, if need be.

But, eventually, as all people do, Jack realized he couldn't be beat, and therefore had to play even dirtier, and he pulled out his gun, he gun with only one single shot, and aimed it right between Turner's eyes.

"You cheated!" Turner exclaimed.

"Pirate," was all Jack offered.

They both turned at the sound of the Military men trying to break down the door.

"Move away," he said, gun still pointed at William.

"No."

"Please move!" Jack pleaded.

"_Please!"_ Jacqueline added in, signing at William.

"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape!" William exclaimed, nervously looking between Jack and the front door.

Getting ready to fire, Jack's hand shaking, he looked at Will and admitted, "This shot is not meant for you."

The next thing Jack Sparrow knew, his world went black as he was hit over the head with a bottle.

* * *

The Sparrow's sat in their lonely cell, watching the men in the next jail cell whistle at the jail dog, who sat and stared at them all, keys in mouth.

"_Are they ever going to stop?"_ Jacqueline asked her father, getting annoyed with the desperate men next door, some of whom had leered at her when she was brought in.

"You can keep doing that forever. That dog is never going to move," Jack sighed at them, also annoyed, his hat shielding his eyes, sitting on a bench, while Jacqueline huddled in a corner, directly across from her father, wishing that the blacksmith's apprentice could've just let them go.

"Oh, excuse us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet!" one man said, obviously the leader in their little 'pack.'

Jack just smiled at the man's idiocy, glad that his beautiful Jackie didn't have to hear them and all of their nastiness.

* * *

_A five-year-old Jackie sat on her father's bed, glowering at the tall, thin doctor from Shipwreck Cove, not the first, but not quite the last man who had looked her over, all telling Jack the same thing: Jacqueline Camilla Elizabeth Sparrow would never hear._

_Jacqueline didn't utter a sound, and she glared at the doctor who was promising a treat if she would just say anything, a word, a phrase, anything, really. But the doctor didn't realize that Jacqueline couldn't speak, that she didn't know how to speak._

_In the background stood her father, signing at Jackie, pleading for her to just make a noise, while her grandparents, both of whom loved her dearly, looked worried for Jackie._

_Jackie really was a daddy's girl. Her father was all she had. After Elizabeth's death, he went back home for a while, learning sign language along with his parents, teaching her sign language, bringing in a teacher from England who specialized with deaf children who had hearing parents._

* * *

Sitting in their cell, Jack heard a thud in the distance.

"I know those guns!" he exclaimed, jumping up to peer out the window. Jackie stared at her dad, wondering what the crazy man was up to. "It's the Pearl," he said, before turning to Jackie and telling her what was going on.

"The _Black Pearl_?" the man next door asked. "I've heard stories. She's been preying on ships and settlements for near 10 years. Never leaves any survivors."

"No survivors?" Jack asked. "Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?"

The man didn't answer, instead clutched his bone and looked confused.

* * *

Jack saw the flash from the cannon and heard the far-off boom before anyone else in the jail, jumping down and grabbing his daughter as a cannonball hit the jail, making a gigantic hold in the next cell, but only a tiny one in theirs, not big enough to stick your head through, let alone escape through.

"_Are you okay?"_ he asked Jacqueline, who looked quite scared and confused, but shook it off and put on a brave face.

"_Yeah, i'm fine, are you ok?"_ she asked, turning the question back on him, something that she'd always done when she was scared but she didn't want to admit it.

As the men in the next cell escaped, the leader turned and offered only a few words: "My sympathies, friend. You've no manner of luck at all!" before escaping into the night, laughing gleefully at their new-found freedom.

* * *

Jack had promised himself he wouldn't do this, but he went to the cell door, finding a stray bone. Picking up said bone, he stuck it through the bars and started whistling, calling for the dog.

Hearing a bang, the dog ran away, and as Jack heard yells he recognized, he frantically turned to Jacqueline, motioning for her to hide in the corner, make herself unnoticable.

"This ain't the armory!" Twigg exclaimed.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here, Twigg! Captain Jack Sparrow!" the other man exclaimed, before spitting at Jack's feet.

"Last time I saw you," Twigg started, "You were all alone, on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance. His fortunes aren't improved much!"

"Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen. The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers!" Jack answered, still angry, 10 years after his betrayal.

The other man grabbed Jack, choking him, his arm becoming a skeleton in the moonlight. Jacqueline, who was currently unnoticed in a corner, bit into her hand to keep herself from making even a little noise that could give herself away.

"So there is a curse," Jack said casually. "That's interesting."

"You know nothing of hell," the man said, pushing Jack away before stalking away with Twigg.

Holding up the bone, Jack stared at it, muttering, "That's very interesting."

"_What was that? Who were they?"_ Jacqueline asked, crawling out of her hiding space.

"_Nobody, Jackie, they were nobody."_

"_Why did he choke you?"_ Jackie asked, getting angry that someone had tried to choke her father.

"_He was making a point."_


	3. Sailors on the Rock

Jacqueline had eventually fallen asleep, curled up next to her father, who relished the moment he had to look at his daughter's beautiful features. Who knew that two people could make a creature this beautiful? It didn't even matter if Jacqueline was deaf or hearing, whether she had three eyes or two. She was beautiful to Jack. He noticed that even though her hair was dark, darker than the night, it still managed to shine, looking almost blue-ish in the morning sun.

Realizing that he needed to be productive, Jack grabbed the bone, and, having whittled it down the night before, stuck it into the key-hole of the cell, trying to pick the lock with just the bone. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he layed back down, pretending to be asleep.

"You. Sparrow," came a voice.

"Aye?" he asked, lifting his head.

"You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl."

"I've heard of it," he answered, laying his head back down.

"Where does it make berth?" Will Turner asked, getting Sparrow to lift up his head and look at him.

"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?" Jack asked. Getting only a stare from William, Jack continued. "Captian Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

"The ship's real enough. Therefore, it's anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"

"Why ask me?" Jack asked, checking his nails and trying to keep from smirking.

"Because you're a pirate," Will answered, as though that were the most obvious answer to give.

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?" Jack taunted.

"Never," Will spat. Standing awkwardly for a moment, Will gave in to the unasked question and said, "They took Miss Swann."

"Oh, so it is that you've found a girl!" Jack exclaimed, sitting up, excited at the news that the young man was NOT, in fact, a eunuch. "I see. Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

"I can get you out of here."

"How's that? The key's run off."

"I helped build these cells. These are half-pin barrel hinges. With the right leverage and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free," Will explained, taking a bench and hooking it into the bars, prepared to open the cell for the Sparrows.

Having shook Jacqueline awake, the girl wiped sleep from her eyes and tried to focus on the current conversation, having difficulty reading William's lips. Jacqueline wanted to grab him and make him stop moving so she could see what he was saying.

"What's your name?" Jack asked, still curious as to why Will looked so familiar.

"Will Turner."

"That would be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt named for your father, eh?" Jack asked, internally laughing at the confused look on the young man's face. Jacqueline knew it, too, for she had a distant memory of another man named Will Turner, one who'd worked under her father, on the Black Pearl.

"Yes," Will answered, trying to figure out how Jack knew that.

"Uh-huh. Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear, on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?" Jack asked, offering his hand through the bars.

Taking his hand, Will said, "Agreed."

"Agreed, now, get us out!"

Pushing down on the door, Will lifted the door as Jack climbed out, offering Jacqueline his hand and helping her out of the cell.

"Hurry. Someone would've heard that."

"Not without my effects!" Jack answered, scrambling for his things.

* * *

The three of them ran through shallow water underneath of a bridge, looking out in the harbor.

"We're going to steal the ship?" Will asked, and, spotting the Dauntless, he asked, "_That_ ship?"

"Commandeer. We're going to commandeer that ship," Jack answered, pointing to the Interceptor. "Nautical term."

Turning, he looked at Will, before continuing. "One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going. This girl. How far are you willing to go to save her?"

"I'd die for her!"

"Oh, good! No worries, then!" he exclaimed, turning back around.

* * *

The trio had hidden under a canoe, Jack in front, Jacqueline in the middle, and William in the back, and, when the coast was clear, they stood and walked it, upside down, into the harbor, walking towards the Dauntless, their plan having been hatched and now underway.

"This is either madness or brilliance," Will declared to no one in particular, fish darting around him.

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," Jack answered, and Jacqueline giggled as Will stepped into a crab-pot, and, not being able to shake it off, Jacqueline shook with laughter, the rare sound of her voice resonating through the canoe.

"Jack," he said, wanting to ask about the mysterious girl, but he knew he wouldn't get much out of Jack.

"Aye?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Insulting her. Saying that she was kidnapped, that she has mental problems."

Jack said nothing, instead, feined deafness, choosing not to become a eunuch and talk about things like his feelings for his daughter. Instead, he gave Will only three words: "She's not handicapped."

"What's her name?"

"Jacqueline. Jacqueline Camilla Elizabeth Sparrow," he answered, resisting from choking on her third name.

"She was named after you." It was not a question. It was not an exclamation. It was a single statement, one that contained all the pain of July 13th, the day he lost his beloved wife. It was a statement the Will Turner knew nothing about.

"Yeah. She was named after me," Jack answered quietly, marking the end of the conversation.

* * *

Finally climbing over the railing of the Dauntless, Will saw his new counterpart signing with his daughter, the two laughing about something the girl had said. Will believed she was called Jacqueline, but he wasn't quite sure.

The two men snuck around the helm and down the stairs, one with a gun, one with a knife, while Jackie found a way to sneak to the crow's nest, knowing the two would follow her lead once backup came to help the soldiers.

"Everyone, stay calm! We are taking over the ship!" Jack exclaimed, as Will jumped over a ledge, joining him, and added, "Aye! Avast!"

The crew on the Dauntless started laughing, and the two shared a nervous look.

"This ship cannot be crewed by two men," Lieutenant Gilette sneered. "You'll never make it out of the bay."

"Son, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack said, holding up his gun and getting ready to shoot. "Savvy?"

* * *

As the crew left the Dauntless, all of them fitting into one lifeboat, Will and Jack made a show of "sailing" the Dauntless, all part of the Sparrow's plan.

Will raced up the steps to the helm, coming face to face with Sparrow. "Here they come," he said, looking at the smaller, now-provisioned ship they were _really_ going to commandeer. Jack turned around, smiling, giving the thumbs up to Jacqueline, who was hiding in the crows nest.

The two men joined Jacqueline in the crows nest as the Interceptor drew up beside them, grappling hooks on the railing and sailors crawling all over, looking for the trio (though they thought it was only a duo). Once all the sailors were below deck, searching for them, they swung over to the Interceptor, cutting the lines to the grappling hooks and sailing off, fully provisioned.

"Thank you, Commodore, for getting ready for us to make way! We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves!" Jack called, taking off his beloved hat and waving it at the angry man. The three ducked below the railings when the sailors started shooting at them in a pathetic attempt to get their ship back, and, not being able to steer, ran down Gilette's lifeboat, forcing the men to abandon ship for the second time that day.

The trio on the Interceptor sailed off, on their way on some grand adventure with one of His Majesty's ships.

* * *

Once they were out in the open ocean, the three were able to calm down a bit, with Jacqueline and her father having an animated conversation about something or other, though Will hoped it wasn't about him.

"When I was a lad living in England," Will started, polishing his sword. "My mother raised me by herself. When she died, I came out here, looking for my father."

"Is that so?" Jack asked, though not truly interested.

"My father, Will Turner. It was only after you learnt my name you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father," Will accused, not taking his eyes of Jack as the Captain scurried around, fixing this and tightening that.

Stopping his activities, Jack faced the young man. "I knew him. Probably one of the only few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."

"Bootstrap?"

"Good man. Good pirate. I swear, you look just like him."

"It's not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law."

"He was a bloody pirate. A scallywag," Jack answered, wishing the boy wasn't so naïve.

"My father was NOT a pirate!" Will snarled, brandishing his sword.

"Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."

"You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you!" Will answered, getting angrier.

"Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, is it?" Jack asked, before turning the wheel, making a hard right, the mast knocking Will off his feet, and, as he held on, he dangled over the waves, he gave Jack a look that suggested he was planning ways to kill his Captain.

"Now, as long as your just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: What a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example. I can let you drown! But I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onsey, savvy?" Jack asked, leaning on Will's dropped sword as though it were a cane.

"_Hey!"_ Jackie signed, jumping into the conversation. _"What about me?"_

"_Sorry, darling, you know what I meant,"_ Jack answered, temporarily forgetting about Will hanging onto the mast, dangling over the open water. Not that he necessarily cared.

Turning the wheel back and bringing Will back on board, he fell onto his back and looked up at Jack as he held the sword to his chest, asking, "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?"

Flipping the sword and offering it to him, he continued, "Or can you not?"

"Tortuga?" Will asked.

"Tortuga," Jack smiled, before striding off to tell Jacqueline of their plans.

* * *

After docking in the pirate port, the trio started walking through the town, Will for the first time, while Jack gave a running commentary, talking and signing for Jacqueline at the same time.

"More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy_? _What do you think_?"_

"It'll linger."

"I'll tell you, mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted._"_

Then, seeing one of his many whores stalking towards him, Jack walked toward her and exclaimed, "Scarlett!"

All that got him was a slap to the face before she stalked off.

"Not sure I deserved that," he said, mostly to Will.

When another came up.

"Giselle!"

"Who was she?" asked the made-up girl, hand on her hip.

"What?"

That got him another slap to the face!

"I may have deserved that..." Jack said, feeling a bit sorry for the girl, whom he hadn't paid last time he was here.

After hunting through the town for hours, they came upon Joshamee Gibbs, laying asleep, drunk, in a pig sty, using a fat pig as a pillow. Jack found a bucket of water and threw it on him, waking the man up.

"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" he sputtered, not particularly pleased with the way he was awakened.

"Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck!" he chastised, recognizing his old friend.

"Fortunately, I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking," Jack said, kneeling down beside his friend.

Gibbs looked confused for a moment, but, rather than worked it out, just smiled and held out his hand to be helped up. "Aye, that'll about do it!"

With Jack helping him up, Will and Jacqueline both threw more water on him.

"Blast! I'm already awake!" he cried.

"That was for the smell," Will explained.

* * *

Inside of Jack's favorite pub in Tortuga, filled with flirting whores and fighting men, Jack leaned close to Will and whispered, "Keep a sharp eye," before continuing away with three drinks; two for him and his daughter and one for Gibbs.

Sitting down, Jacqueline sat, watching their conversation and keeping an eye on Will, while the men conversed.

"Now, what's the nature of this venture of yourn?" Gibbs asked, taking a sip of rum.

"I'm going after the Black Pearl," Jack answered, causing Gibbs to choke on his drink. "I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it."

"Jack, it's a fools errand," Gibbs warned, hoping that Jack would change his mind, knowing that the man's fancies changed with the tide. "You know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl."

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew."

"From what I hear of Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one!"

"I'd say it's a good thing I'm not a fool, then, eh?" Jack challenged.

"Prove me wrong!" Gibbs retaliated. "What makes you think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"

"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage," Jack said, causing Will to turn around at the word 'leverage.' Jacqueline noticed, and, not wanting to draw attention, kicked him under the table. When he looked at her, she just nodded her head towards Will, letting him know that there was an additional person listening to this conversation. Jack started nodding his head toward Will, trying to let Gibbs know who he was talking about without having to say his name.

"The kid?" Gibbs asked, looking at Will, who was currently being hit on by a whore with rather large breasts and rotting teeth, laughing maniacally and stumbling with drunkenness.

Nodding, Jack answered, "That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?"

"Is he, now?"

"'Leverage' says you. 'I think I feel a change in the wind' says I. I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock as crazy as you!"

"One can only hope! Take what you can!" Jack exclaimed, picking up his mug.

"Give nothing back!" he answered, as the three clinked their mugs together.

* * *

The next morning, Jack, Jacqueline, and Will met Gibbs on the dock, who had found Jack a crew.

"Feast your eyes, Cap'n! All of them faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt, and crazy to boot."

"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will asked, his voice just a wee bit undermining.

Jack ignored him, instead continuing down the dock, inspecting each man. When he came upon an older gentleman with a parrot on his shoulder, he called, "You, sailor!"

"Cotton, sir," Gibbs said, having trailed along behind him.

"Mr. Cotton, do you have the courage and fortitute to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death? Mr. Cotton! Answer, man!"

"Uh, he's a mute, sir, poor devil had his tongue cut out. He trained the parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how," Gibbs answered as the man opened his mouth and showed them his stub of a tongue, grossing out Jacqueline, Jack, and Will.

Jack started to continue, be stopped and turned back around. "Mr. Cotton's parrot. Same question!"

_Squawk!_ "Wind in the sails, wind in the sails!"

"Mostly we figure that means 'yes,'" Gibbs said, looking over Jack's shoulder.

"Of course it does!" Jack answered. "Satisfied?" he asked Will.

"Well you've proved they're mad."

Suddenly, a womanly voice came from the end of the line. "And what's the benefit for us?"

Walking down to where the voice came from, Jack took off the woman's hat, coming face to face with a beautiful, dark-skinned woman.

"Anamaria," he smiled, which got him a slap in the face.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that?" Will asked.

"No, that one I deserved," Jack admitted.

"You stole my boat!" Anamaria exclaimed, obviously still angry.

"Actually," Jack started, but was cut off with another slap. "Borrowed! Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of bringing it back."

"But you didn't!" she yelled, getting even angrier.

"You'll get another one!" Jack bargained, frightened of the angry woman.

"I will," she said, pointing her finger at Jack.

Also frightened of the woman, Will jumped in. "A better one."

"A better one!" Jack agreed.

"That one," Will said, pointing at the Interceptor.

"What one?" Jack asked, and, looking at the Interceptor, he asked, "That one?!"

Will nodded as the crew all turned back around to look at Jack. "Aye, that one," he finally agreed. "What say you?" he asked the entire crew.

"Aye!"

Jacqueline ran up to talk to Anamaria, whom she quite liked, while Gibbs was warning Jack of bringing a woman aboard.

"_Hi Anamaria!"_ the cheery girl signed as she came up to the older woman, mouthing the words to she could understand. Anamaria was better at understanding her than most, but then again, she tried harder with the girl. Anamaria saw a bit of herself in the young, female Sparrow, and no matter how angry was at Jack, she could never be angry at Jacqueline.

"Hi, Jackie, how have you been?"

"_Good, just been sailing around with dad. How are you?"_

"I'm good, just angry with your dad."

"_He was already slapped twice last night!"_ Jackie signed, giggling.

"Good," was all that Anamaria said.


	4. A Lonely Bird

That night, the Interceptor was sailing through a bad storm, pelting everyone with hard, painful rain lashing at them, sailors slipping and almost falling overboard. Jackie stayed inside her cabin, one she'd found right beside the Captain's quarters, where she could get to her dad's cabin fast, if need be, and charted the way to Shipwreck Cove, rather than climb the rigging in that mess.

Jack stood at the helm, compass in one hand, wheel in the other, looking like a madman steering the ship, smiling at the nasty weather.

"HOW CAN WE SAIL TO AN ISLAND THAT NOBODY CAN FIND WITH A COMPASS THAT DOENS'T WORK?" Will screamed at Gibbs through the pounding rain and the howling wind.

"AYE, THE COMPASS DOESN'T POINT NORTH, BUT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO FIND NORTH, ARE WE?" Gibbs screamed back, finding it hard to understand Will in the fury of this storm.

Gibbs made his way to the helm, holding on to anything that would keep him onboard, before stumbling his way up the steps to the Captain. "WE SHOULD DROP CANVAS, SIR!" he screamed.

"SHE CAN HOLD A BIT LONGER!" Jack answered, a mad glint in his eye.

"WHAT'S IN YOUR HEAD THAT'S PUT YOU IN SUCH A FINE MOOD, CAP'N?"

"WE'RE CATCHING UP!" Jack exclaimed, gleeful in the speed that they were going, even while caught in this storm.

* * *

After the storm, the crew of the Interceptor found themselves in a graveyard of ships, the fog making it possible that their ship would be added to the wreckage.

"Dead men tell no tales," squawked Mr. Cotton's parrot, adding to the eeriness that was this place.

"Puts a chill in the bones, how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Gibbs said, almost sadly, as if he'd lost a dear friend here.

"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will asked, curious about the mysterious compass.

"Not a lot's known about Jack 'fore he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta," Gibbs explained, walking along the deck with Will, with Jacqueline right behind them, wanting to see this conversation, as Gibbs was checking up on the rigging and the sails. "That was before I met him," Gibbs continued. "Back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl."

The last statement made Will whirl around to look at Gibbs, who was currently taking a sip out of his flask. "What?" he asked. With Gibbs almost choking on his drink, Will added, "He failed to mention that."

"_Dad was Captain for quite a while,"_ Jacqueline added, though she didn't think Will understood her.

"He plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was. Three days out, the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure. Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack and Jacqueline on an island and left them to die, but not before Jack had gone mad with the heat," Gibbs said, using his story-telling voice.

"So that's the reason for all the..." Will asked, mimicking Jack, the way he leaned forward and back when he was awkwardly close to people, usually being too close to them for their comfort.

Offended at Will's horrible re-representation of her father, Jacqueline angrily stomped off, but not before giving William a very rude hand gesture that he didn't see.

Keeping a straight face, Gibbs said, "Reasons got nothing to do with it. Now, Will, when a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, that won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly," Gibbs held his fingers to his temple, pretending to shoot himself in the head.

"But Jack and Jacqueline, they escaped the island, and Jack still has that single shot. Oh, he won't use it, though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate."

"Barbossa," Will said, though it was really a question.

"Aye."

"How did they get off the island?"

"Well, I'll tell ye. They waded out into the shallows, and waited three days and three nights, till all manner of sea creatures came acclimated to their presence. And on the fourth morning, Jack roped a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together, and made a raft!" Gibbs exclaimed excitedly.

"He roped a couple of sea turtles?" Will asked, not really believing the other man.

"Aye, sea turtles."

"What did he use for rope?" Will asked, confusing Gibbs, when no one other than Jack should walk up.

"Human hair. From my back," he said calmly, before calling for the crew to let down the anchor. "Young Mr. Turner needs to accompany us ashore."

"Captain, what if the worst should happen?"

"Keep to the Code."

"What about Jacqueline?"

"She'll be fine if she's with me."

* * *

The three were in the lifeboat, with Jack rowing them towards the unknown in the cave coming up. The lantern in the front illuminated a dead body, and a grossed-out Will asked: "What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?"

"Pirates Code. Any man who falls behind is left behind."

"No heroes amongst thieves?" Will asked in almost a monotonous voice.

"For having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you're well on your way to becoming one," Jack stated, almost teasing the poor boy. "Sprung two pirates from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga. And you're completely obsessed with treasure."

"That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure," Will retaliated.

The three climbed up behind a wall of rock, and came upon the scene of millions of pieces of hoarded gold and silver, and in the middle, the chest of Cortes' treasure, and behind it, Barbossa and Elizabeth.

"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate," Jack confided as he pointed out William's love to both Will and Jackie.

"_Is that the girl we're saving?"_ Jackie asked, not too excited about this little "mission." If it weren't for being caught, they'd be almost to Shipwreck Cove by now, picking up her grandparents, before sailing off to India, where she'd celebrate her sixteenth birthday, if this blasted "adventure" would just end already. But, after staring at the girl, she realized that this girl, the girl that they're saving, is Elizabeth Swann, whom she had interacted with at Norrington's promotion ceremony. Recognizing the nice girl, she felt she needed to help her escape from whatever fate Barbossa had planned for her.

"_Yeah, that's her. I swear, on pain of death, we'll get to India soon enough, ok?"_ Jack asked, feeling bad about breaking his promise to take them straight to India (with his parents, too) for her birthday. His beloved girl was turning sixteen, and sooner or later, she might want her own ship, her own crew, or maybe she'll want to settle down in Shipwreck Cove, or in the Bahamas, or Jamaica, or...somewhere. Shaking the thought of losing his daughter out of his mind, he concentrated on figuring out how to save Elizabeth.

The three sat in the very back, hidden, watching the scene, with Will freaking out when Barbossa said she held the last piece of cursed treasure.

"Not yet," Jack said, holding Will back from dashing into the cave to save Elizabeth. "We wait for the opportune moment."

Leaving, Will followed, with Jacqueline staying behind, not noticing that her father left, along with their companion. "When's that?" Will asked. "When it's of greatest profit to you?"

"May I ask you something?" Jack asked, turning around. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor. I know it's difficult for you, but please, stay here, and try not to do anything stupid," he said, before dashing away.

Jack re-joined Jacqueline, leaving Will to his thoughts, and, just when he thought Elizabeth's neck was going to be cut, everything went black. He had been hit over the head with an oar. Will was stalking off to save Elizabeth from her death, but not before an angry Jacqueline, worried for her father, went to chastise Will, so mad that he would do that to her dad, who had helped him get here in the first place!

Of course, she went unnoticed, and instead was trying to revive her father, shaking him and crying, even though crying wouldn't help him. She was shaking him, hard, but he wouldn't come to. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm! They were dragging her away from her dad, and no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't break free! She pulled and tugged, almost dislocating her shoulder, but the person wouldn't let go, pulling her away from the only person who could communicate with her (other than her grandparents).

Turning around to see who would commit such a heinous crime, she saw that it was Will Turner himself, alone with Elizabeth, the girl who'd been nice enough to lie for her at the ceremony.

"Camilla?" Elizabeth asked. "Camilla du Bois?"

"_Sparrow, actually. Though you can call me Camilla,"_ Jackie answered.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth asked, confused. She didn't understand. No one would understand her.

* * *

Having made it back to the Interceptor, she was immediately surrounded by people, but she had no idea what was going on. Jacqueline Sparrow had never felt more alone when surrounded by so many people. No one would understand the lonely bird because the only person on this ship who could had been abandoned, left to the mercy of his former crew because Will Turner had a moment of doubt.

Elizabeth, soaking wet, surrounded by people she didn't know, looked around and said, "Not more pirates..."

"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth," greeted Gibbs.

"Mr. Gibbs?" she asked, recognizing the man from his Navy days.

"Hey, boy, where be Jack?" Gibbs asked as Will climbed up the side of the Interceptor, behind Elizabeth, while Jacqueline was hiding in her fathers' cabin, crying and drying off, signing to herself.

"Jack?" Elizabeth asked. "Jack Sparrow?"

"He fell behind," Will answered, leading Elizabeth away, below decks.

"Keep to the Code," a grief-stricken Gibbs ordered, though he had a hard time covering up his grief.

Immediately, Anamaria started giving orders to weigh anchor and hoist the sails, ready to go back to Port Royal.

* * *

Out in the open ocean, Jacqueline looked out of her window to find the Black Pearl gaining on them. Was her father on that ship? Or was he forgotten on Isla de Muerta, where he'd starve to death and she'd be forever alone in the world?

She realized that sooner or later the ships would have to battle. Jacqueline considered heading out on deck, but remembered what her father had told her, years earlier.

_A eight-year-old Jacqueline huddled in her fathers jacket, curling into his embrace, sitting on the deck of the Fair Lady, her grandfather in front of her, asking what had happened. Jacqueline was shaking, though she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or fear._

_She'd been gone for about two weeks, but in those two weeks, she'd been through hell._

_Two ships had been battling. Theirs and enemy pirates from Somalia._

_She'd wandered out on deck. She didn't mean to, but she couldn't hear the cannonfire, nor the clang of swords meeting. Stepping out onto the main deck, she came across a scene that scared her, her fathers' crew fighting, some of them sprawled on the ground. She ran back toward her fathers' cabin._

_She wasn't fast enough._

_She was grabbed by a man who reeked of body odor and salt, and was taken onto the enemy ship, screaming, kicking, but the man wouldn't let go!_

_He took her down flights of stairs, pushing past men, and put her in a cold, dank cell that had water starting to leak in it. She knew where she was. She was in the brig._

_Before long, the ship she was in pulled away, sailing off. She wondered if her dad noticed she was gone, or if he was busy tending to his wounded crewmen._

_The first day, she was left alone._

_The second day, the Captain, as she presumed, came down, talking to her, but she couldn't understand him. She couldn't yet read lips, and his man didn't sign. She tapped her ears, shaking her head, something she'd done for a long time now, and the man stopped. Then he did only one thing. He pulled out a knife and put long gashes in her hands, palms and backsides, keeping her from moving them. She wanted to tear off a piece of cloth from her bandana, but she couldn't move her hands, let alone use them to tear fabric._

_The third day, men from the crew came and ate food, taunting her with bread and fruit and everything else that they could eat._

_The fourth day, the Captain came down again, this time taking her feet and putting long, jagged, deep gashes on the bottoms of her feet to keep her from running away. Jacqueline was starving, she couldn't stand, and she couldn't communicate._

_This vicious cycle continued for a few days, Jacqueline only getting scraps of food every few days, only enough to keep her barely alive._

_On the ninth day, she recieved that last bit of food that they would give her. They were going to let her die._

_On the fifteenth day, she lay on the dank, slimey, mildewey floor, woozy, everything coming in and out of focus. She thought she was going to die. She couldn't stand, the Captain had re-opened the cuts only the day before. She had bruises and cuts all over her body, including a gash at her hairline, a black eye, and a split lip. Her skin was tinged blueish-purple all over, and Jacqueline rejoiced if she could find a place that didn't have a bruise. _

_She closed her eyes, ready to die._

_Until she felt herself being lifted up, being carried in someones arms. She managed to open her eyes and see that it was her father, crying. She'd later learn he thought she was dead, that he'd been too late._

_He carried her back onto their ship, really one of her grandfathers' ships, and she was laid on a bed, wrapped in her fathers jacket, being embraced by the crying man, being almost smothered in blankets, trying to warm her up, giving her soup and healing her gashes and bruises._

_About a month after she came home, her father came in one day, and told her one thing to remember:_

"_When our ship is in a battle, take your sword and your knife, and hide in a storage closet. If an enemy finds you, attack them. Try to kill them. If it's one of us, you'll know it's safe to come out, savvy?"_

Peeking out of a window, she saw a glimpse of the fighting going on out there. She ran for the storage closet, though she wished she could be part of that fight. She thought, "Why not? My father is probably already dead, so what if I get killed too?"

Before she could stop herself, she tore out of the closet, out of the cabin, onto the deck, and into the melee, but as she ran out, the crew dropped the starboard anchor, and, as the ship came to a screeching turning-stop, Jacqueline was thrown overboard, into the lukewarm ocean waters.

* * *

The battle ensued. Gunshots rang out, swords clashed, ropes creaked, people screamed, and Jacqueline swam, swam away from the Interceptor, away from the Black Pearl, away from her fathers mutinous crews, away from the memory of her now probably-dead father. Jacqueline swam, and, when she reached a coral reef, she found one piece portruding from the water.

Jacqueline was tired, oh, so tired. Tired of everything. She was tired of the jokes, she was tired of not being understood, she was tired of this stupid trip that ended up with her losing the only person she had left in this world, the only person she _loved_, because people are selfish.

But Jacqueline was also physically tired, and she thought she might as well rest. She could be pulled into the water by the waves and drown, but she didn't care anymore.

* * *

Jack broke out of the brig, a hole having been blown right into his cell, and scurried around, sneaking, finding a way back to the Interceptor and his beloved daughter.

Coming onto the main deck, a sailor swings over, and, grabbing his rope and making the other pirate fall off, he says, "Thanks very much," before swinging over.

He landed back on his stolen ship, and, ignoring the crew calling to him, went towards his cabin, bursting in and finding the nearest closets, opening them all. Jacqueline was in none of them.

_If she's out there fighting, she's in so much trouble,_ Jack thought, running back out onto the deck.

"Jack!" Gibbs called, seeing his captain.

Handing Gibbs his flask, he answered, "Bloody empty. Where's Jacqueline?"

Gibbs shrugged before fighting another enemy pirate.

Jack continued rushing around, looking for his daughter, when he sees Elizabeth fighting, another pirate coming up behind her. Before the pirate could strike Elizabeth, though, he grabbed his hand, chastising, "That's not very nice," before Elizabeth hit him with the butt of her gun, sending him overboard.

Bringing Elizabeth below the railing, he asked, "Where's the medallion? Better question, where's Jacqueline?"

"Wretch!" she cried, trying to hit him. "What do you have to do with her anyway?"

Not answering her question about Jacqueline, he caught her hands, and, seeing the bandage, he asked, "Where's dear William?"

Catching her off guard, she whispered, "Will," before fleeing, trying to find him.

Seeing Jack the Monkey with the medallion, he momentarily forgot about his daughter, mentally noting to give her a stern talking-to when he found her, as he staggered across the broken mast, trying to catch the medallion, but coming face-to-face with Barbossa.

Jack, tied around the mast of the Black Pearl with the rest of his crew, saw Marty and asked if he'd seen Jackie. The question went around the crew, all tied together; Where was Jacqueline? Jack realized that there were other closets he hadn't looked in, other places he hadn't checked, and, looking out at the sinking ship, he realized that he was seconds away from losing his daughter forever.

And he hadn't been able to say goodbye.

But just as Elizabeth ducked under the rope, the Interceptor exploded.

Jack took a sigh. He was now alone. His beautiful daughter, Jacqueline Camilla Elizabeth Sparrow, aged fifteen, deaf, raven haired, brown eyed, and delicate framed, was dead.

Jack Sparrow let one tear escape for his daughter before holding them back, for whenever he was alone, when he got rid of the murderer and his mistress, let them live their happy life, and he could grieve in peace.

All he wanted was to be alone.

A figure was climbing up the side of the Black Pearl.

Was it Jacqueline?

Jack's heart soared, until he saw who it really was.

The man who he wished had died. William Turner.

* * *

Something shook Jacqueline.

"_Stop it, daddy!" _she signed. _"Leave me alone!"_

But then she realized: her father was dead. She opened her eyes, finding herself in a bed, on board a ship.

Three men were standing over her. Two were in red, and armed, obviously soldiers. The one in the middle was Commodore Norrington, she recognized.

Commodore Norrington started talking, but Jacqueline was too scared, too tired, and too sad to read his lips. She waved her hands at him, tapping her ears and shaking her head. Commodore Norrington nodded, before going over to a desk, writing on a piece of paper.

_We found you on a rock in the middle of the ocean and brought you aboard. What's your name? How did you get there? Were you kidnapped, attacked?_

He handed her the slip of paper, and as she read it, she held her hand out for a pen.

_My name is Camilla du Bois. I was taking a boat to Port Royal from Nassau when my ship was attacked. I fell overboard and almost drowned, but found a piece of wood, and floated until I found this rock._

Commodore Norrington nodded, before looking at her and smiling, before writing, _You're okay, Miss du Bois. We'll take care of you and get you to Port Royal safe, _before leaving. Jacqueline spied a tray of food on the desk, but cared not for anything but her dreams, her dreams filled with her father, the only place he was still in existance.


	5. Blow a Kiss

Wading ashore, pulling the rope off of his hands, Jack turned around and said, "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship," before stalking off, wanting to cry for his daughter in peace. He remembered the few days they had spent here, drinking rum and acting as if it were a vacation.

Of course, the stupid little princess had to follow him.

"But you were marooned on his island before!" she cried, going after him. "We can escape the same way you did."

"To what point and purpose, young missy? Not only is Jacqueline gone, but now the Black Pearl is gone. Unless you have a rudder and sails hidden in that bodice. Unlikely. Young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him," Jack answered, hoping that they'll kill the evil little eunuch.

Jack continued, hoping that she'd leave, but it seemed the little wench had selective hearing, not realizing that when he said his daughter was dead, it meant he wanted to be alone. "But you're Captain Jack Sparrow!" she exclaimed. "You vanished from seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot."

Jack was jumping on the sand, and, finding the trapdoor, continued ignoring Elizabeth, desperately needing a drink.

Standing in front of him, Elizabeth asked, "Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?"

"Last time, we were here a grand total of three days, all right? Last time," Jack started explaining, opening the underground cellar full of rum. "The Rumrunners used this island as a cache, came by, and Jacqueline and I were able to barter passage off," he continued, climbing into the cellar. "From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that," Jack finished, climbing out with three bottles.

"So that's it, then? That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days, lying on a beach drinking rum?"

"No, Jackie and I did. Welcome to the Caribbean, love," Jack corrected, pressing a bottle in her hand as he left, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Jacqueline walked out onto the deck of The Dauntless, wearing a dress that they'd given her, alone with a corset, an underdress, and petticoats galore. Jacqueline didn't particularly enjoy wearing all of this, but she realized that she was almost jealous of Elizabeth Swann. Her life was probably safe, maybe even fun. But Jackie felt a pang as she realized she'd rather be with her dad, sailing the oceans, having adventures, rather than be stuck at garden parties and promotion ceremonies her entire life.

The men all tipped their hats, bading her hello, being gentlemen, rather than the pirate way: leer, drool, try to touch. Only one other person on the ship knew how to communicate with Jacqueline; an eighteen year old boy, named Mateo Crúz, who had been born to a mother who was deaf. Mateo entertained her on this voyage, having been relieved of his chores aboard the Dauntless to help Jacqueline communicate with the rest of the crew.

"_So, do you speak at all?" _Mateo asked as they stood at the stern.

"_No," _Jacqueline answered, _"How would I learn? I hear nothing."_

"_Good point_," he signed. _"I was just wondering."_

Jacqueline found that she was beginning to like this boy, not as a person, but something else, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

* * *

"WE'RE DEVILS, WE'RE BLACK SHEEP, WE'RE REALLY BAD EGGS, DRINK UP, ME HEARTIES YO HO!" Jack and Elizabeth sang, running in circles around a bonfire.

"YO HO, YO HO, A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME!"

Running around, Jack yelled, "I love this song!" as he and Elizabeth entertwined their arms, twirling around.

"Really bad eggs!" Jack yelled, collapsing onto the sand and bringing Elizabeth with him. "When I get the Pearl back," Jack started, "I'm going to teach it to the whole crew. We'll sing it all the time."

"You'll be the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," Elizabeth inturrupted.

"Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire world. Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. What a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is, is freedom," Jack monologued, quoting Jacqueline almost directly.

"Jack," Elizabeth started, snuggling up closer to him. "It must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island."

Bringing himself to put his arm around her, he answered, "Oh, yes. But the company was infinitely better last time."

"Who was that Jacqueline girl you kept talking about?" Elizabeth asked.

"My daughter," Jack answered sadly.

"You have a daughter? Well, where is she now?"

"I did. I had a daughter," Jack corrected, holding back tears.

"What happened to her?" Elizabeth stupidly asked.

"She got herself blown up. Or maybe she drowned. Either one, take your pick," he answered, taking a swig of rum.

"What do you mean?"

"I told her to always hide in a closet when our ship was in battle. So, even though I wasn't there, when the Interceptor started battling the Black Pearl, she hid in a closet. She didn't know they were going to blow up the ship."

"She wasn't on the Interceptor," Elizabeth said.

"Yes, she was."

"There was no one on that ship by that name. The only women were me, Anamaria, and Camilla du Bois."

Jack started laughing at the memory of how her alias got started, and corrected Elizabeth. "Camilla du Bois was Jacqueline's alias, Elizabeth. That deaf girl? She was my daughter. And now she's dead, at the bottom of the ocean, with the remains of that ship."

"I'm sorry Jack," Elizabeth answered, but Jack ignored her, drinking until he was passed out.

* * *

Jack woke up to the smell something burning. Standing, he realized that it was the rum. She was burning the food, the shade, and the rum, but Jack couldn't bring himself to be angry. Instead he walked off down the beach, letting a few tears escape, until he saw white sails on the horizon. Someone was coming for Elizabeth.

Jacqueline stood on the deck of the Dauntless, talking to Mateo about Swordfighting vs. Gunfire, when the lifeboats came back, Elizabeth climbing onto the deck with...her father?

Her father!

No, it cannot be. Jacqueline must be dreaming. _"Excuse me,"_ she signed to Mateo, rushing down the stairs and towards her cabin, having to walk right past her father's ghost.

She averted her eyes and ran into her cabin, locking the door, as she cried and cried.

* * *

"But we have to save Will!" Elizabeth argued as they came aboard the ship.

"No! You're safe now. We will return to Port Royal, not go gallivanting after pirates!" her father said, his word the final word. Jack saw someone at the helm, recognizing the dark, curly hair and delicate frame. He willed the figure to turn around, but then he realized...Jacqueline is dead. It was probably someone else.

"Then we condemn him to death."

"The boy's fate is regrettable. But so was his decision to engage in piracy."

"To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me," Elizabeth argued, getting upset, just as the Jacqueline look-alike rushed by, crying. Jack swore that it was his daughter, even though he knew she was gone.

Shaking off the thoughts of his daughter, Jack interrupted. "If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion. The Pearl was listing near scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it. The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up, right?"

Calm, cool, and collected, Norrington answered, "By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow. Not only myself."

Going after him, Elizabeth begged, "Commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me. As a wedding gift."

"Elizabeth," Governer Swann breathed as he came up beside her. "Are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?"

"I am," she breathed, looking at James' handsome face, coming to terms with the fact that William was probably already dead.

"A wedding! I love weddings! Drinks all around!" Jack exclaimed, realizing that he needed to stop quoting his daughter. Seeing Norrington's reaction to Jack's statement, he held out his hands and said, "I know. 'Clap him in irons,' right?"

"Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?" Norrington asked, deciding to humor his new fiancé.

"Inescapably clear," Jack agreed.

* * *

Jacqueline raced around the Dauntless, finding Mateo.

"_Jacqueline! There you are! Are you ok? You'll never believe who's on the ship!" _Mateo signed excitedly.

"_Jack Sparrow?"_

"_Yes, how did you know?"_ Mateo asked, confused.

"_He's my father,"_ Jacqueline answered.

"_WHAT?"_ Mateo asked, more out of excitement than scandalised.

"_Yes. I thought he was dead."_

"_Well, he just lured the soldiers out near the island over there to save someone named William Turner."_

"_I hope they fail,"_ Jacqueline answered, racing off to find a sword. She could feel a fight coming, here, on the Dauntless. And this time, she wasn't taking her father's orders.

Jacqueline looked over the railing and into the water, her keen eyes making up for what she couldn't hear. Seeing movement, she found Mateo.

"_Hide."_

"_What?"_

"_Go. Hide. Now."_

"_Why?"_

"_We're about to be attacked by pirates who can't die. Go hide."_

"_What about you?"_

"_Heading back to my cabin. After I distract them."_

"_Jacqueline, I can't let you do this."_

"_Do what? Throw something at them? I'll be fine."_

Jacqueline hid, waiting for them.

* * *

They came.

The first few soldiers were killed.

The battle started.

Jacqueline came at them, knowing she was probably going to be killed.

It didn't matter to her anymore.

She was fighting one man, she recognized him as Twigg.

When she felt agonizing, writing, undescribible pain.

She had been stabbed.

Holding her hand to her wound, she continued fighting, shooting at the sailors, knocking them overboard.

But the pain became too much.

Her arm was bloodsoaked, the dress ruined.

Jacqueline fainted.

Everyone assumed she was dead.

It wasn't until after the battle, when they were tending to the wounded, did they realize that 'Camilla du Bois' was still alive.

Mateo, her only friend aboard, was filled with sorrow.

She was alive, for now. She was stitched up, but she would need more when they returned to Port Royal.

Jack Sparrow was locked in the brig, though he listened, hard, as the sailors keeping watch talked about her. He had learned that she was alive when they mentioned Camilla du Bois, talking about her. They assumed that she wandered out, not hearing the sounds of battle.

Jack knew better.

Will, Elizabeth, and Mateo kept a constant vigil, neither of the three betraying her true identity. Betraying her would get her hanged. Instead, they took turns, watching over their friend, all the way back to Jamaica.

* * *

**Two Months Later**

Jacqueline had been 'adopted,' by Governer Swann, Jacqueline not wanting to be hanged. She went to the Blacksmith's shop often, Elizabeth sometimes accompanying, but she was usually busy with her fiancé, Commodore Norrington.

Jacqueline and Will both knew her father was going to be hanged.

Though they didn't know what to do about it.

On the day of the execution, Jacqueline had tried to feign a headache, but, as part of the Governer's household now, she had no choice, or else she'd be the talk of the town.

Jacqueline itched to get back to a life at sea.

But she had no choice but to stay here, in Port Royal, as the Governer's Adopted Daughter.

Mateo had been hired as her full-time interpreter, for no one wanted to write down everything for the rest of their lives.

She didn't realize she was seriously going to lose her father, though, until he was brought before the noose.

"Jack Sparrow," the clergyman started. "Be it known that you..."

"Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack corrected as he stood.

"For your willfull commission of crimes against the crown," the clergyman continued. "Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature. The most egregious of these to be cited herewith. Piracy, smuggling..."

"This is wrong," Elizabeth said, looking at Jacqueline, though saying it to no one in particular.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law. As are we all," her father answered.

"Impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy," the clergyman continued, citing all of Jack's wrongdoings. "Impersonating a Cleric of the Church of England."

"Oh, yeah," Jack recalled, smirking at the memory of him and Jacqueline. Jack filled his thoughts of Jacqueline. He found her face in the crowd, and she started signing at him. There wasn't much she could do, being under the watch of so many soldiers, but she finished with one simple statement: _I love you, dad._

"Sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness," the clergyman finished.

Will spied Cotton's parrot as the clergyman finished, a plan hatching in his head.

"And for these crimes, you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."

Will walked over to the Governer's party, greeting everyone, but saving Elizabeth for last.

"Elizabeth," he said. "I should have told you everyday from the moment I met you. I love you," he finished, before hurrying off, elbowing his way through the crowd as the drum rolls got faster.

Spying Cottons' parrot, Will was pushing his way through the crowd, and as her fiancé was calling for Marines, Elizabeth whimpered, "I can't breathe," and fainted.

Her fiancé, father, and adoptive sister all came to her help, and she waited for the oppurtune moment to 'revive.'

Right as the drums stopped, Elizabeth sat up, Jacqueline shut her eyes, the executioner pulled the lever, Jack fell.

There was a thud. But not from Jack Sparrow dropping. From a sword hitting the wood. Jack balanced, trying not to choke. Will fought the executioner, eventually breaking Jack's rope and setting him free. Together, the two men fought, doing flips and tripping people.

Until they were surrounded.

Norrington strutted up, snarling, "I thought we might endure some ill-conceived escape attempt. But not from you."

Addressing Will, the Governer added, "On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency. And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate."

Elizabeth came walking up, dragging Jacqueline with her, having shown the younger girl that her father had escaped.

"And a good man," Will answered. "If all I have achieved is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. My conscience will be clear."

"You forget your place, Turner," Norrington said, stepping forward.

"It's right here between you and Jack," Will retailiated, when Elizabeth stepped in.

"As is mine," she said, grasping Wills' hand.

"_I would like to re-join my father, thank you,"_ Jacqueline signed, going and putting her arm around Jack.

"Elizabeth! Camilla! Lower your weapons. For goodness sake, put them down!" Governer Swann cried, not wanting either of his daughters to get hurt.

"So this is where your heart truly lies, then?" Commodore asked, realizing that Elizabeth never loved him.

"It is," she answered.

Norrington didn't answer, but Jack, seeing Cottons' parrot, nudged Jacqueline and discreetly pointed. "Well!" he started, planning their escape. "I'm actually feeling rather good about this. I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually. Ecumenically. Grammatically."

Walking up to Norrington, Jack got close and said, "I want you to know I was rooting for you mate. Know that."

Going to Elizabeth, he said, "It would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry."

Walking away with Jacqueline, Jack turned around, calling for Will. "Nice hat."

Mateo came over to Jacqueline, asking her if she was going with her father.

"_Of course. I'm sorry, but he's my father. He's the only family I have left."_

"_I understand."_

"_You do?"_ Jacqueline asked, not sure if he was telling the truth.

"_Yes. One more thing, though."_

"_What?"_ Jacqueline asked. Instead of signing anything, though, Mateo grabbed her close and kissed her.

"_Come back and visit me, Jackie."_

"_Of course, Mateo,"_ she answered.

She smiled and walked back over to her father, who started his normal escape monologue.

"Friends. This is a day you will always remember as the day that..." Jack started, but before he could finish, he fell off the wall, right where Elizabeth fell only months before!

Jacqueline climbed up onto the wall, and, as she waved goodbye, blowing a kiss to Mateo, she jumped, doing a beautiful swan dive into the water, where she and her father swam to freedom.


	6. Lakshmi Milo

**Sorry that it's quite a bit shorter, but don't worry, it's just an introduction (too important to be called a filler) for more to come!**

* * *

_Caught in the rain, she kneels on the ground, the remains of a day gone wrong surrounding her. She sat under an arch, the drenched lilies drooping, smoke rising from the hundred of tiny candles, having been extinguished in the onslaught. Rows of chairs, some knocked over, dripped with water, mocking Jacqueline. She sat in a blood-stained dress, a slash in the bodice exposing her corset, which had also been slashed. The rosettes of red were growing larger on the white dress._

_Jacqueline looked up, skying a dark skinned woman, standing in front of her, watching Jacqueline, holding her hands out. In the womans' hand was a thin, silver chain, the pendant of a sparrow on the end. She held it out to Jacqueline, waiting for her to take it..._

Jacqueline woke with a start, sitting up in her bed. Looking around, she spied her father sitting in a chair beside her bed.

"_What are you doing here?" _Jacqueline, confused by her fathers' presence, asked.

"_I couldn't sleep," _Jack answered, not meeting Jacqueline's eyes.

" _So you decided to watch me sleep?"_

"_No," _he answered, before continuing. _"I thought you were dead."_

Nodding, she answered, _"Me too."_

"_You'd think that I would feel it, in my bones, if you were gone."_

"_I guess not, then," _she contradicted.

"_You weren't on that boat," _he stated, smiling.

"_No, I wasn't."_

"_Thank God,"_ Jack answered, before telling Jacqueline to go back to sleep.

* * *

It had been 10 months since Jack and Jacqueline had escaped Port Royal. They had spent the eight months in India, Jacqueline not wanting to return to the Caribbean. At the moment, they were in Vishakhapatnam, on the eastern coast of the sweltering country.

Jacqueline had grown out her hair, gotten a tan, started wearing Saris, pierced her nose (along with her ears), changed her name to Lakshmi and looked, well, Indian. She had left the memory of Port Royal behind, but one moment stood out in her mind.

Mateo pulling her close, Mateo kissing her, his facial expression as she swan-dived off the wall, into the ocean, to her freedom.

"Lakshmi" walked through town, smiling at people, even stopping at a vendor or two to buy something, before heading towards the British Embassy, where she was meeting someone.

Though she couldn't get Mateo out of her mind, she found she was maybe kind-of starting to have feelings for a man. But not just any man, he was a Lord, and his name was Cutler. They communicated through pen, paper, and pantomine (though Cutler had learned a few signs), and while Lakshmi knew she could only hope to marry someone like him, it didn't mean she couldn't flirt.

Cutler met her outside, wearing a smile and holding extra paper, though he greeted her with a enthusiastic _"Hello" _when he saw her.

He offered his arm, and she took it, going towards the docks. She felt a little guilty, not telling him her true identity, but she knew he'd kill her if he found out she was really a pirate.

The two sat on the dock for hours, before, using the signs she'd taught, he crudely signed, _"I...going...work...wait for me?"_

"_Sure, Cutler, I'll wait for you. I'll still be here when you come back."_

"_Thank you, Lakshmi," _he said, standing, walking toward his ship, but not before stopping and, taking off his ring, made of Ruby, and giving it to her, closing her fingers around it.

"_I...back soon...ok?"_

"_Ok."_

* * *

Elizabeth sat under an arch. Teacups were filled with rainwater. Sheet music soaked and tearing in the rain. Something was going to go wrong. She could feel it.

Her worries were confirmed when she spotted her fiancé, handcuffed.

"Will!" she whispered, rushing towards her almost-husband. "Why is this happening?"

"I don't know," he answered. "You look beautiful," he complimented.

"It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding," she answered, her joke lost in the fear and confusion surrounding the two.

"Make way! Let me through! How dare you?!" Governer Swann called, fighting through the wall of people to get to his daughter. "Stand your men down at once. Do you hear me?" Swann commanded, angry.

"Governer Weatherby Swann," Cutler Beckett started. "It's been too long."

"Cutler Beckett?" Swann asked.

"It's Lord now, actually," he corrected.

"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest this man."

"In fact I do," he corrected again. "Mr. Mercer?"

Another man came forward, producing a leather folder full of documents. "The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner," Beckett announced, handing the paper to Governer Swann.

Opening it, the Governer stupidly said, "This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann."

"It it?" Beckett asked. "That's annoying. My mistake. Arrest her!"

"On what charges?" she screamed.

Being ignored, Beckett fished out the correct warrant. "Aha! Here's the one for William Turner. And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington! Is he present?" Beckett called, as if Norrington would give himself up after finding out he would be arrested.

"What are the charges?" Elizabeth called, getting angry.

"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago," Swann called out, as if that were a priority.

"That wasn't the answer to the question I asked."

"Lord Beckett!" Will called. "In the category of questions not answered..."

Being inturrupted by Elizabeth, she cut in, "We are under the jurisdiction of the king's governer of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with."

"The charge," her father started, reading the paper, "is 'conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire, and condemned to death, for which the..."

"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death," Beckett cut in, smiling slightly. Stepping toward Will, he asked, "Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow."

"Captain!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, I thought you might."


End file.
